Electric water-heater.



M. SIMON.

ELECTR1C WATER HEATER.

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M. SIMON.

ELECTRIC WATER HEATER.

APPLICATION man 1u1Y 26. :915.

Patented July 18, 1916.

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M. SIMON.

ELECTRIC WATER HEATER.

APPLICATION miv JULY 26.1915.

Patented July 18,L 1916.

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MAURICE SIMON, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

ELECTRIC WATER-HEATER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 1S, 1916.

Application filed July 26, 1915. Serial No. 41,896.

To all whom t muy conce/Mt Be it known that I, MAURICE SIMON, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Electric Tater- I'leater, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in electric water heaters and consists in the novel design, construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully disclosed.

An object of the invention is to provide a water heater including a chamber wherein the water is heated by passing an electrical current therethrough with means for varying the amount of electrical resistance so that the degree to which the water may be heated may be varied.

Another object of the invention is to provide a heating chamber with means for introducing and withdrawing water thereto and therefrom, with provision for passing an electrical current through the volume of water as it passes through the heating chamber.

Another object of the invention is to construct a water heater comprising a heating chamber with provision for passing an electrical current through the volume of water in said chamber, in combination with automatic means for making and breaking the electrical circuit.

Another object of the invention is to equip a heater of the type mentioned with automatic means for breaking the electrical circuit when a predetermined temperature has been attained in the heating chamber of the heater.

lith the foregoing specifically mentioned objects in view, and additional features and advantages obtainable from the construction which will be apparent without specific mention, I have designed, combined and arranged the various elements and devices hereinafter more fully disclosed, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical section through the heating chamber with the cooperating parts associated therewith clearly illustrating the details of construction of an embodiment of' the invention. F ig. 2 is a cross section through the heater taken substantially on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross section taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4f is a detail view illustrating the details Yof the circuit breaker which is under control of the thermostatic device for breaking the circuit when a predetermined temperature has been attained in the heater. Fig. 5 is a detailed view illustrating the details of construction of the automatically loperated switch for controlling the supply l of the interior of the case shall be effected by coating the inner wall of the case 1 with an enamel lining, or a separate lining of rubber may be utilized if desired.

The case 1 is provided at each end with an outwardly extending annular flange 3, the ends of the case being closed by end plates 4 and 5 respectively. The plates 4p and 5 are secured in position by bolts 6, which pass through openings in said plates adjacent to the periphery thereof and through the flanges 3. Between the end plates and the ends of the case 1 are interposed sheets 2 of rubber or other insulating material, and insulating sleeves 8 surrounding the stem of the bolts 6 and within'the openings through the plates are provided.

Secured within the case 1 are a series of cylinders 9 formed of porcelain orother insulating material. The cylinders 9 .are of decreasing diameters and each cylinder is provided with flanges 10 at one end thereof. The cylinders are arranged `in a concentric series and are of a length slightly less than the length of the case 1. The series of cylinders 9 are alternately turned with the flanges 10 abuttting against the respective end plates l and are retained in position by a series of concentric rings 11, there being provided insulating rings 12 between the rings 11 and the face of the flanges 10, and also spacing rings 13 for retaining the cylinders 9 in the adjustment clearly illustrated in Fig. 2.

The water to be heated is introduced through a supply passage 14; into an annular chamber 15 formed in a boss 16 integral with the side wall of the case 1, through which it passes through a series of openings 17 into the case and flows through the tortuous passage formed by the cylinders 9 as indi ated by the arrows to a discharge 1 assage 1S which is connected into a head-piece 19 which forms the continuation ot the central one ot the cylinders 9.

rlhe rings 11 are ot electrical conducting iiiaterial and certain ot' said rings ll constitutev one pole ot the electrical circuit that passes through the roluine ot water within the li uiter casx and the metallic cylind \r 2Ol` projecting into the central one ot the cylinders t), constitutes the other pole ot the electri :al circuit. rlhe rings ll are retained in position by bolts 2l which pass through the end plates f.. aiid 5 and ae si'iri'oiiiitied by insulating sleeves Q2.

lit will be noted by reference to Fig. l ot the d awing that tour ot the retaining` rings ll are placed in the electrical circuit haring lead wires attached to the retaining bolts tor said rings, which bolts are equipped to constitute binding posts for the wire terminals. The arrangement is such that the electrical current enters the water at tour ditliereiit radial points, so that the amount ot' the water between the po es ot the circuit passing therethrough ma)v be Varied and therebr7 the amount ot' resistance through which the current will'pass majv be regulated. it will7 ot course, be understood that water. depending' upon its degree ot' purity. offers greater or less resistance to the passage ot tlie current and this ii cans ot introducing the current prorides tor coordinating the resistanee relative to the determined resistance of a unit ot volume ot the water; it also provides for the heating ot the water to various degrees.

The optional control ot the point ot the introduction ot the current into the water is etliected through a 'tour point switch connected at one terminal to a lead wire t ot the circuit and the other terminal with a series ot lead wires Q5, which are placed in circuit with the respective rings ll. rlie opposite pole Q0 ot the circuit is in electrical connection with the other lead wire i() ot the main circuit, the two main lead wires 2t and 2G terminating iii a screw' socket QT tor attachment at a remote point to the source ot electrical energy.

interposed in the lead Q-t ot the main circuit is a circuit breaker Q8. ln the einbodiment oi the invention shown the circuit breaker QS comprises a inoi'able member f) and a lgiiturcated extremity rlie ineinber Q9 is morably mounted in brackets 3l. formed on the plate rlhe member Q9 is insulated :trom the extremity rihe two ends of the lead 9st entering the circuit brraker are attached to plates 33 arranged to be mounted upon a bracket 31 ot insulating material, with an insulating spacing rib 35 between the plates. rlie member Q9 is normali)T actuated away trom the plates 33 with a stem -Sl which is in axial alinear 1i with the 'stem ot the ii einher fL The stem 3f) oit the water pre s moved siifli- Y l.

cientl),v when wate rawii rroiii t: e

i. i i heater to more the bi'iiirc: ted extremit;Y ot the member 29 into c i tact resiicitiieliy with the plates 33, tliefel r closinf;l the lircuit through said eureiiiiy. iis the details ot construction ot the water pressure ral'rc. are no part et thepresent iiireiition and as the construction well understood in the art, it is unnee to explain its operation n detail. its ac 'on bei ig iiioi'e the termina itl iiito plates i333 to close th tain the circuit e` 'i being \-.'ithdrawii r cuit being lroken u iiieiiiber to normal 'pa/isi i stem 39 inoi'cs inwardl to the rali'e case ot the faire 3S. when ti t rge ot the water from the heater closed hi' closing o'llA1 the se Vice t'aucet iii the supply s i'steini. as will be readih,v understood In order to open the supi l losed l 'ion tl.,

vt, le

Y L 'if' circuit when a predetermined maximum temperature ot the water has been attained provide a second circuit breaker IO i the circuit. The

lei'er tlis normally held in depressed p( tion. Said lerer -lfl is in a ijustable relationship with a second lever EVC which is pirotcd iii brackets tf1 rihroiigh the short ariii ol the lever -let is threaded an adjustablestein 50 which bears against thi4 extieniit)Y o the lever 4S. l'ii contact with the lever la@ and actuating it outwardly a stein 5l.

The stein 5l is controlled b r a thermostalic derice which'is oit substantiallr the saine construction as that shown and it'ullr described in my copending application tiled rlinie l. 1915, .serial No. lLflO. The stem 5l norma lr projects bejiond the end ot the cylinder 20. but under the influence ot heat pui..

from the rater surrounding the cylinder 2() the tendency' ot the stem is to recede within the case. The stein 5l, normally bearing` against the lerer LtS and through the connection 50 with the short arm oit the lever llt, holds the extremity of the long arm dcllt) pressed sulliciently to maintain the member 45 in contact with the plates 41, thereby maintaining the circuit closed until the stem 51 has receded sufliciently to release the short arm of the lever 44, whereupon expansion springs 52 move the lever 44 and its extremity 45 away from the plates 41 opening the circuit. As the detailsl of construction of the thermostatic device, whereby the movement of the stem 51 is controlled, are no part of' the present invention and are fully disclosed in the copending application referred to, it is unnecessary to describe the construction at length.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that the chief features of' the operation of the heater of the present invention are as follows: lhen water is withdrawn from the discharge passage 18 the pressure in the supply passage 14 is reduced and the pressure operated vaive 38 actuates the circuit breaker 2S to close the circuit, it being understood that by means of the four point switch 23 the point at which the current enters the case has been determined. The current entering the case through the selected one of the rings 11 passes through the water to the opposite pole 20, thus heating the water and incidentally purifying the water by a known electrical action. Then the water has been heated to a predetermined degree the thermostatic device will so act as to actuate the circuit breaker 40 cutting ofi' the supply of current, the circuit remaining open until. the temperature of the water has dropped sufliciently to cause the thermostatic device to again close the circuit. In this construction, as the water itself constitutes the resistance element, the entire electrical energy will be utilized in the heating of the water without loss from radiation.

It will be understood that numerous changes in details of construction may bc made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. Therefore, l do not desire to limit myself to the eXact details of construction shown and described, but

lV hat l desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A water heater comprising a case, a water inlet to said case, a water outlet from said case, a series of baffle walls in the lorm ol open-ended spaced cylinders of insul ating material, a series of terminals for one end oi an electric circuit, a single terminal constituting the other end of the electric circuit, said terminals entering said case, and a switch for placing selected ones of said first-named series of terminals in circuit, substantially as specified.

2. A water heater, comprising a case, a. water inlet to said case, a water outlet from said case, and a series of balile walls in the iorm of open-ended cylinders of insulating material interspaced and oppositely arranged in said case for deflecting the iiow of water therethrough, in combination with an electrical terminal at one point in said case, and a second electrical terminal at another point in said case, the said baffle walls being interposed between said terminals.

3. A water heater, comprising a case, a water inlet to said case, a water outlet from said case, a. series of insulated baffle walls mounted in said case and constituting deflectors for directing a tortuous flow of the water in said case, a series of terminals for one end of an electrical circuit entering said case, a single terminal constituting the other' end of the electrical circuit entering said case, and an automatic circuit breaker in said circuit operable effectively to close the circuit when water is withdrawn from said outlet passage, substantially as specilied.

4. A water heater comprising a case, an inlet passage to said case and an outlet passage from said case, a series of open-ended cylinders of insulating material forming communicating chambers, a series of terminals for one end of an electric circuit, each of said terminals of the series being arranged in communication with separate ones of said communicating chambers, a single terminal constituting the other end of the circuit entering said case, an optionally operable controlling device for cutting in one end of the circuit selectively to said first-named terminals, and an automatic circuit breaker for closing the circuit, substantially as specified.

A water heater, comprising a case, an inlet passage to said case and an outlet passage from said case, an electrically energized circuit entering said case at separated points, an automatically operated circuit breaker in said circuit, a series of insulating baille walls between the points at which the circuit enters the case, and a thermostatic device adapted to make and break said circuit independent o't said automatic cricuit breaker, substantially as specified.

6. A water heater, comprising a case, a series of concentric cylinders of varying diameters located in said case and adapted to constitute baille walls for causing a deflected flow of water entering said case and passing therefrom, a. series of electrical terminals entering said case and between dif- Jferent ones of said cylinders, and a second terminal located within said case and separated therefrom.

7. A water heater, comprising a case, a chamber in communication with said case through a series oi" ports, a supply passage entering said chamber, an outlet passage from said case, an actuating circuit for passing an electrical current through the water contained in said case, an automatic circuit breaker operable effectively to close said circuit when water is withdrawn from said case,

and a. device under the influence of heat from the water in said case for breaking said circuit when a predetermined maximum degree of temperature has been attained in said c; se.

S. A water heater, comprising a case7 partition walls in said case for separating the ease into communicating compartments, an electrical terminal ot the supply circuit entering said case, ay series ot terminals in conmiunication with separate ones ot said compartments, and optionally operable means tor placing selected ones of said terminals in circuit with the niain supply circuit, substantially as specilied.

9. i water heater comprising acase, a series ot partition walls formed of insulating material arranged in said case, and diriding the same into communicating compartments, an electrode in communication with each of said separate compartment-s, a. stationary electrode spaced from said firstnamed electrodes, and an optionally operable switch device tor placing selected ones ot' said first-named electrodes in circuit7 suh- 25 stantially as speciiied.

l0. A water heater comprising a case, a series ot" open-ended oppositely arranged and interspaced cylinders ot insulating` material mounted in said case, electrodes entering 30 said case, a supply passage tor said case, an outlet passage in said case, a circuit i'or energizing said electrodes, and means in said circuit operable on the \\f'ithdra\\'al of water :troni said outlet passage for energizing said 35 MAURICE SIMON.

lVitnesses L. C. KmesLaND,

N. G. BUTLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents eachl by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

